Drifting
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: Whenever his Dragon wanted to devour him, she always had her hand ready for him to take. - Requested by FortOfTheBalad98.


Arc V

Drifting

Friendship/Angst

Yuri, Selena

Whenever his Dragon wanted to devour him, she always had her hand ready for him to take. - Requested by FortOfTheBalad98.

(I do not own Arc V)

* * *

Drifting

* * *

When they were hardly six years old, Yuri and Selena were the best of friends. Selena was trying to improve her dueling skills, he was more than willing to help her. He laughed at her mistakes and patted her head when he won.

She hated it when he patted her head. It made her feel small. And she wasn't afraid to say it either.

His response?

More laughter.

That calmed her temper and brought about her smile.

She liked hearing her best friend laugh.

Looking back, Selena never wanted that to change. She wanted him to be that adorable little boy for a while longer. His smile was too precious to lose.

If only things hadn't changed. That smile might have remained for just a little bit longer.

* * *

Not long after turning ten, Yuri began to suffer from frequent panic attacks. His skin would pale, he would suffer from severe headaches, and any attempt to figure out the cause met with failure. Asking him directly only made it harder. He only had one answer for any doctor who dared interrogate him.

"It's nothing. So just leave me alone."

Selena didn't believe him. The only time he told people to leave him alone was when he didn't want anybody to get into trouble along with him.

So she went up to him. And she questioned him.

"Yuri, what's the matter?" she had asked him. "You can talk to me, you know."

"Nothing's wrong," Yuri had said firmly. "So just leave me alone, Selena. Please."

"But something _is_ the matter," Selena responded. "You don't tell people to leave you alone unless something's wrong. Come on, Yuri. We're friends."

"I said leave me alone!" Yuri finally shouted, shoving Selena away.

She fell to the ground in half a second, her tailbone going numb from the impact. After recovering enough, she looked up.

For a single moment, it looked like Yuri's eyes had changed from an adorable purple to a ruby red.

Almost like the eyes of his dragon.

Just as it appeared, the glow vanished, replaced with a shocked expression painting Yuri's countenance. Then he staggered back, his breath coming out short and heavy. "Just," he began, "stay away from me, Selena. Just stay away."

Then he turned around and shot down the hallway, refusing to look at Selena again.

* * *

It only got worse after that. That was only the first of many times he would explode like that.

He terrified his peers more than ever before. They made attempts to calm him down, but only Selena had half a chance to calm him down. And whenever he did, he would look at his destructive handiwork, fight off the tears, and run away, demanding that Selena stay away from him.

"But why?" she asked him once. "Why won't you let me help you, Yuri?"

He paused for only a moment before patting her head and saying in a broken voice, "Because you're my best friend. And I...I don't want to hurt you."

No matter what he said, it was good to see he still thought of her as a friend.

And this realization only made her want to help him more.

* * *

Xyz Dimension.

The Professor's first target in his effort to unite the worlds.

Selena listened carefully to the names that were to go to the front lines.

Most of them were people she didn't recognize. Others were those she knew could win.

But then she heard Yuri's name and she could see him pale. And she knew perfectly well exactly why he paled. His power; whatever kind of curse it was; could not be controlled through his power alone. And that was just during duels amongst his peers. What would happen, they wondered, if he went up against complete strangers?

The thought made his stomach churn.

And to make matters worse, Selena did not hear her name being called.

She was the only one who was being denied entrance to the battlefield.

Her friend was being sent in alone.

* * *

She wanted to go. She wanted to make sure Yuri was okay. But even when she kicked and screamed, demanding that she go with them, but they didn't listen. Instead, the Professor made certain that she went nowhere else, locking her in her bedroom until the main force returned.

By that time, however, it was much too late.

They let her leave her room and informed her of their victory. The men were laughing and speaking of what they had been successful in accomplishing, but Selena took no notice.

She only wanted to see her friend. She needed to make sure Yuri was alright.

Did he make it through the battle? Was he still alright? Did that power of his end his life on the battlefield?

No. She couldn't think of that. She just couldn't. Yuri had to be safe. He just had to be.

Selena was never happier to see that to be true.

Or more upset.

She found Yuri speaking with the Professor after running through almost half of Academia and landing in a heap of dirt and bushes. By that time, she was out of sorts, but she didn't care.

Even from the distance, she could easily make out Yuri's small body beside the water fountain with the Professor towering over him. Yuri was safe. Perhaps a little dirty, but he was safe.

Or was he?

The Professor said something, though Selena found it difficult to make out, touched Yuri's shoulder, then walked away.

Taking her chance, Selena freed herself from the bushes and raced over to Yuri, a smile on her face. "Yuri!" she called out. "Yuri! Thank goodness you're safe!"

Initially, Yuri didn't seem to take any notice to her presence. But when he did, he turned around.

In that same instant, Selena stopped breathing.

Yuri was smirking.

And he never smirked.

Then he placed his hand on her head, just like he used to. But instead of making her feel calm and happy, it only chilled her to the bone.

"Hey, Selena," he said, poison slipping into his every word. "I'm glad to see you're doing well."

Selena didn't speak.

His words felt pernicious and far from sincere.

She was suddenly finding it difficult to recognize her friend.

* * *

Over the three years that followed, Yuri drifted further and further away. The smile of that beautiful little boy had all but faded out of existence. Every day, he was sent on one dangerous mission after another.

And again, she was forced to sit and watch him sink further.

Then she found his smile again. Only he wasn't the one wearing it.

The boy named Yuya Sakaki was.

Could he save her friend? Could he bring back the boy she used to know?

If he could, if that was a dream she could hold onto, then she would do what she must.

Even if it meant dueling against Yuri himself.

She would find her friend again.

And she would be the one to pull him back from the darkness, just like she used to.

* * *

**D.T.B: Aaaaaaand I have little to say for this one. I'd greatly appreciate it if you keep any flames away from this piece of work.**


End file.
